Growing ventures invited to present at FIU’s Americas Venture Capital Conference


Deadline: August 15, 2011

MIAMI (August 2, 2011) – Innovative companies doing business in Latin America and South Florida have until August 15, 2011 to apply for a golden opportunity: presenting at Florida International University’s second annual Americas Venture Capital Conference.  The conference, November 16-17, 2011 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, will give top companies the opportunity to showcase their businesses before an audience of hundreds of participants, many of them venture capitalists and companies seeking investment opportunities and strategic alliances in Latin America.

In 2010, the Americas Venture Capital Conference established itself as a forum for venture capitalists, strategic investors, service providers and thought leaders who want to engage with members of the expanding Latin America/South Florida financial ecosystem. With more than $25 million in deals closed during its inaugural year, the second conference, “Latin America: Building on Success,” will advance the goal of fostering connections between Latin America-focused companies and a world-wide network of venture capitalists and strategic investors.

The Americas Venture Capital Conference is presented by FlU’s Eugenio Pino and Family Global Entrepreneurship Center and the College of Business Administration, ranked 15th in the U.S. for international undergraduate business education by U.S.News & World Report.

To apply, companies must create a profile in the FIU Pino Center’s Global Innovative Ventures Knowledge Base prior to August 15, 2011. In addition to having ample networking opportunities, selected companies will make short presentations to potential investors and have a display at the conference.

To qualify as a presenter, a company must conduct a significant portion of its business in Latin America, the Caribbean or South Florida. Companies must also demonstrate a proven business model with positive gross margins, a proven market adoption and an established user base. Companies are required to have excellent management teams in place.

Companies from the following sectors are encouraged to apply: agriculture and water quality; biotechnology, pharmaceutical and health; consumer products; education; energy and green technologies; entertainment; information, communication and web technologies; and natural resources.

Selected companies also will compete for the following prizes:

  • Tres Mares Innovation Prize: A cash award in the amount of $10,000 and an artistic rendition of innovation, by the collective Tercerunquinto, valued at $5,000.
  • FedEx Access to Global Markets Prize: $10,000 in-kind services, for its commitment to global trade.
  • CP Capital Emerging Venture Prize: $10,000 in investment banking services.
  • CP Capital Inflection Venture Prize: $10,000 in investment banking services.

Success stories from the first conference include Internet language school Open English (Venezuela/Miami), which received an estimated $6 million in venture capital financing; mobile banking firm YellowPepper (Miami), which received the first equity investment in its industry from the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation; and Spanish-language entertainment producer My Friend (Chile), which signed a contract with Telemundo Communications Group.

“In one short year, the Americas Venture Capital Conference has become recognized as the leading venue for innovative entrepreneurs and investors,” said Conference Co-chair Irma Becerra-Fernandez, who is vice provost of Academic Affairs at FIU. “We look forward to hosting this important gathering as we continue to extend FIU’s global reach.”

Becerra-Fernandez explained that entrepreneurial leaders from the local business community have been integral to the success of the conference.

“This Conference is one of the best opportunities for Latin American companies seeking venture capital to gain exposure with the investor community. The FIU America’s Venture Capital Conference is the only venue that seeks to build a community that invests, incubates and nurtures innovative ideas and leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean”, said conference co-chair Faquiry Diaz Cala, CEO of Tres Mares Group Inc.

Jon Karlen, General Partner at Boston’s Flybridge Capital Partners said that the presenting companies at last year’s conference were among the most attractive he has seen in a long time.

“It was a unique and dynamic set of companies and the networking was terrific,” said Karlen. “Miami is the logical location for this event.”

For more information about the 2011 Americas Venture Capital Conference, including registration and sponsorship opportunities, please visit: www.AmericasVCConference.com or call 305-348-7156.